PROGRESS Center
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, the PROGRESS Center supports educators and leaders who develop and implement high-quality educational programs for kindergarten through transition age students with disabilities.
The PROGRESS Center provides information, resources, and support for local educators and leaders responsible for the development and implementation of high-quality educational programs that ensure students with disabilities have access to free appropriate public education (FAPE) and that enables them to make progress and meet challenging goals, consistent with the 2017 Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District decision by the United States Supreme Court. As noted in the decision, “To meet its substantive obligation under the IDEA, a school must offer an IEP reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances” (Endrew F., 2017, p. 16).
The Center aims to promote progress for students with disabilities by supporting local entities including public, charter, and private schools in developing and implementing high-quality educational programs that are driven by IEPs developed in accordance with IDEA and the Endrew decision and collaboration across general educators, special educators, related service providers, administrators, families, and students. To achieve this goal, the Center will
- Develop a robust knowledge base about what works to improve outcomes students with disabilities and barriers that educators face through reviews of research, policy, practice, site visits, and discussions with a diverse group of stakeholders.
- Partner with a select group of local educators to build capacity to deliver high-quality special education programs.
- Provide tools, resources, and training materials for educators, leaders, and families through our website, www.promotingPROGRESS.org and universal technical assistance offerings.
The PROGRESS Center is a five-year technical assistance center funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and is part of OSEP’s Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network. AIR manages PROGRESS in partnership with the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and Evergreen Evaluation & Consulting (EEC), as well as a group of distinguished center advisors, to support the center’s work. Together, the team brings extensive expertise in evidence-based practices, special education law and policy, and engagement with educators, families, and leaders to develop and implement high-quality educational programs for students with disabilities.
